Radiogoniometer



July 16, 1957 G DU BOURG DE BOZAS RADIOGONIOMETER Filed Dec. 5, 1949 United States Patent RADIOGONIOMETER Guy du Bourg de Bozas, Paris, France Application December 5, 1949, Serial No. 131,212

3 Claims. (Cl. 343-115) My invention has for its object a radiogoniometer of the stationary serial type intended for the finding of very short waves. The finder of said radiogoniometer is located at the upper end of a mast or the like upright and is controlled from a distance through a central rod whereby the aerial may be located at a distance from the operator in an open space while the operator is allowed to remain in a protected and comfortable station.

One of the chief features of the invention resides in the fact that the transmission of energy between the finder and the receiver is provided through the agency of magnetic coupling means so as to cut out any mechanical contact. On the other hand, the stator windings of the finder are symmetrical and spread through an angle of about 45. Lastly the rotor is tuned to the waves that are to be received.

According to the invention, the vertical rod controlling the finder is actuated through bevel pinions which allow locating the hand of the associated azimuth indicator on a desk that is arranged slopingly for easier operation.

The radiogoniometer may be of the audio hand operated type adapted for immediate transformation into an oscilloscopic optic type through mere motor control of the vertical rod or spindle actuating the finder.

I have illustrated in accompanying drawing a preferred embodiment of my invention.

Fig. 1 is a diagrammatic view of the aerial system and finder.

Fig. 2 is a view of one of the finder stator windings.

Fig. 3 is a general view of the arrangement.

Fig. 4 is a detail view of the coupling means for the finder rotor.

Fig. 5 illustrates coupling means for one of the aerials.

As illustrated, the radiogoniometer according to my invention comprises eight aerial antennas 1, 2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 7, 8 (Fig. 1) forming two sets of aerials connected two by two in opposed relationship while a central aerial 9 is used either for compensating purposes or for raising any doubt as to the azimuth between two directions opposed by 180. The arrangement includes further a finder constituted by two stators 10 and 11 connected in parallel with the corresponding feeders and a rotor 12 adapted to rotate at the center of the stators from which it is separated by an electrostatic grounded screen 13.

It should be noted that the symmetry of the windings plays an essential part in the proper operation of the system.

As illustrated in Fig. 2 showing one of the stators, it will be readily ascertained that these stators may be arranged in perfect symmetrical relationship with reference to one another, each stator being formed of two windings in planes at 45 to each other so as to distribute more uniformly the electrostatic couplings between the stators 10 and 11 and the statoric convolutions 12 of the finder.

The aerial being located at several meters above the ground, the finder is controlled through the agency of a vertical rod 27 connected with the azimuth hand of the 2,799,856 Patented July 16, 1957 pinions 15.

Thus an operator positioned at a station provided in a building, a ship or an underground shelter may control from a distance the finder that is located at the upper end of an aerial system in an open space, e. g. above a roof, on a mast, or above a fortified casemate.

The mechanical distant control described may as well be replaced by an electric distant control system of the self-synchronous or the like suitable type.

The convolution 12 of the finder (Fig. 3) is tuned to the waves to be received through a small variable capacity 12'. One of the main features of the invention consists in the absence of any frictional contact between the finder and the receiver. To this purpose, inductive coupling means 29 (Fig. 3) including cores of agglom-,

erated powder transmit, without any frictional contact being required, the energy from the finder 12 to the receiver 15 through the agency of the downwardly directed feeder 16.

One of the preferred arrangements that may be given to the coupling means is illustrated in Fig. 4 which shows two pots of agglomerated metallic powder 17 and 18 fitting inside one another, each pot being provided with a corresponding winding 19 and 20 shown sectionally. One of said windings, the so called rotor winding 21 is located on the side facing the finder 12 and rotates therewith. The other winding, the so-called stator winding 21 is stationary and connected with the downwardly directed feeder 16.

The tight coupling between the two circuits allows a perfectly regular transmission of energy in contradistinction with other systems wherein variations in the resistance afforded by the contact are a source of irregular workings.

The removal as to doubt in azimuth is obtained through the use of the central aerial 9 that feeds energy into the utilization circuit 22, including a plug circuit 23 acting as an induction coil and a variable capacity 24 adapted to adjust together with the plug circuit the phase in the circuit 22. Another capaciy 25 serves for adjusting the coupling required for the obtention of a cardioid diagram. This latter capacity forming a compensator with three armatures may also serve for improving the accuracy of extinction, provided the plug circuit is short circuited through the agency of the switch 26.

A modification of the doubt-removing arrangement as illustrated in Fig. 5 consists in using two condensers 29' and 30 of which the former serves only for compensation and the other for the coupling with a view to removing the doubt as to azimuth. Under such conditions, the whole arrangement is preadjusted which simplifies the work of the operator.

If it is desired to use an oscilloscope for obtaining optic readings, it is sufficient to make the control shaft or rod 27 rotate through the agency of the motor 28, in this case the synchronous rotation of the finder with the movement of the spot of an oscilloscope allows obtaining optic readings through any known or suitable means.

What I claim is:

1. A radiogoniometer comprising antennae of the doublet type, said antennae being disposed in vertical planes at and antennae in the same plane being connected at both ends of a stator winding comprising two turns in planes at 45, and the two respective windings being at 90 one from the other to form a symmetrical stator winding, a pick up coil arranged within said stator winding and carried at the upper end of a rotatable vertical rod, the output of said coil being fed to a rotatable inductive coil coaxial with and carried by the said vertical rod and cooperating with a stationary coaxial inductive coil receiving the induction flux of the rotatable in-.

ductive coil, said stationary inductive coil being connected to the input of a stationary receiver.

2. A radiogoniometer comprising antennae of the doublet type, said antennae being disposed in vertical planes at 90, and antennae in the same plane being con,-

nected at both ends of a stator winding comprising two turns in planes at 45, and the two respective windings being at 90 one from the other to form a symmetrical I to the input of a stationary receiver, and a tuning condenser connected in parallel with the circuit of the said rotatable inductive coil.

' 3. In a radiogoniometer of the type comprising double stationary coils providing a variable electric field accord ing to the informations received, a rotatable vertical rod, a pick-up coil supported in said field by said rod at the 4 upper end thereof, and a stationary receiver coupling to which the out-put of the said pick-up coil is fed between the output of the said pick-up coil and the input of a stationary receiver, the said stationary receiver comprising rotatable inductive coupling means supported on said rod and electrically connected to the output'coil, the'pick-up coil and to stationary inductive coupling means for receiving the induction flux of the rotatable inductive coupling means, the flux received being fed to the input of the stationary receiver.

References Cited in the file of this patent UNITED STATES PATENTS 1,955,267 Woods Apr. 17, 1934 2,017,908 Leib Oct. 22, 1935 2,062,441 Busignies Dec. 1, 1936 2,434,977 Worrall Jan. 27, 1948 2,457,127 Chesus et al Dec. 28, 1948 FOREIGN PATENTS 494,263 Great Britain Oct. 24, 1938 

